Stereotype-plate and holder



(No Model) B. R. BOOTH.

S'TEREOTYPE PLATE AND HOLDER.

No. 327,648. Pgtented Oct. 6, 1885.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. RUTLEDGE BOOTH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STEREOTYPE-PLATE AND HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,648, dated October 6, 1885.

Application filed March 26, 1884. Serial No. 125,626 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, E. RUTLEDGE BOOTH, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stereotype-Plates and Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure lis a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a section transverse to the column-rules, showing a modification in the form of rule-shoul ders and the beveled ribs or tenons.

A is the base, on which, in conjunction with columnrules, the stereotypeplate B is supported. The base is shown channeled out at bottom to save metal and lessen the weight. At the sides of the base are longitudinal ribs 0, that occupy corresponding grooves, D, in thecolumn-ruleE. Thecolumn'rulesaremade .with a diamond-formed head, F, with shoulders G, (shown square in Fig. l and beveled in Fig. 2,) and the edges of the stereotypeplate are planed out or formed with grooves H and I, to receive the salient parts of the head and shoulder of the rule, so that when the parts are locked together the plate B shall be held firmly in position upon the base A.

It will be seen that the two sides of the plate that are fitted to the rules are uniform, so that the plate can be inverted and will fit the base and rules equally well in either position.

The plate B may he directly upon the base A, or a sheet of paper or other material may be laid betweeen to prevent injury to the letters of the under side.

In casting the stereotype-plate B the letters would of course be cast upon both sides, J, at the one operation.

Iprefer to make the base ofnietal; butit may be made of wood or other material without departure from the principle of the invention.

In planing the edges of the stereotype-plate B, I lay the plate in the planing-machine upon one of its type-faces, and while in this position plane the beveled ribs or tenons b on their outer sides, I), and which are at the opposite face of the plate, so that these sides are always at a given distance from the opposite printingfaces, and as these beveled faces have bearing on the rule-shoulders G it will be seen that the printing-face of the plate will always be at a fixed or given level, even when the plates Vary in thickness.

Base-blocks of stereotype pates are, of course, made about the height to raise the plate to type height. It is also quite true that stereotypeplates, from various causes, vary in thickness, either from the metal varying in temperature when poured, or the alloy varying somewhat in composition, or part of the plate setting under greater pressure than the other part. Stereotype-plates are backed out by placing paper beneath certain parts. It will be seen that if the face of the plate is at the right height its edges will just fit the columnrules.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with the reversible stereotype-plate, of column-rules, the heads of the column-rules and edges of the plate being made with matching ribs and grooves for the purpose of locking them together.

2. The reversible stereotype-plate, in combination with column-rules having shoulders G, giving bearing to beveled ribs 01 tenons b of the plate.

3. The combination of reversible stereotypeplate having beveled ribs or tenons 1), columnrules having shoulders G, and a base, A, the column-rules and base having rib-andgroove connection.

4.. A stereotypeplate formed with grooves H and I, and column-rules E, formed with diamond-shaped heads F and shoulders G, in combination with bases, to which the columnrules are secured.

E. RUTLEDGE BOOTH.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, G120. H. KNIGHT. 

